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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. field — for sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — a gift
  11. can — to be able to
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — there
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stock — shares
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com